1.

Living with computers

A. Computers: friend
People who have grown up with PCs and microchips are often called the digital generation. This
is how some people answered when questioned about the use of computers in their lives.

“I have a GPS Global “I use an interactive “Assistive technology for

Positioning System whiteboard, like a people with disabilities has
fitted in my car. With this large touchscreen helped me a lot. I can hardly
navigation system I monitor, at school.” see, so I use a screen
never get lost.” reader, a program that
reads text menus and icons.”

“This new HMD, head-mounted “The upgraded wireless network at my

display, allows me to watch films university is great, we can connect our
and enjoy virtual reality, the laptops, PDAs and Wi-Fi cell phones to
the network anywhere in the campus.
artificial environment of the latest
Communication is becoming easier and
video
B. games “.
or foe/enemy? easier”.
 Our society has developed technological dependence. When computers are
down, our way of life breaks down: planes stop flying, telephones don’t work,
banks have to close.
 Computers produce electronic waste, plastic cases and microchips that are not
biodegradable and have to be recycled or just thrown away.
 They are responsible for health problems, e.g. computer addiction, an inappropriate
and excessive use of computers.
 Cybercrime, crime committed with the help of computers, is creating
serious problems.
 Citizens may feel a loss of privacy because of unauthorized use of personal data or
receiving unwanted electronic messages.

C. Things we can do on the computer

A secretary:” I use computers to do the usual office things like write letters and faxes, but what I
find really useful is email. We are an international Company and I send emails to our offices all
over the world”.
A publisher:” we use PCs to produce all sort of texts in digital format. We publish e-books
(electronic books) and interactive e-learning programs on CD, and we help a local company to
design an online newspaper, displayed on the Web”.
A bank manager: “We use financial software to make calculations and the generate graphs
or charts. We also use a database to store information so that it easily searched”.
A home user: “I like to retouch photos on my computer; I improve them by making a few
touches and then save them on a CD. I also enjoy looking at music portal son the Web. I surf
the Web every day and I often download files, I copy music files from the Net to my PC”.

1
 1.1. Complete these sentences with words from A opposite.
1. The … screen reader ….. is a piece of software that interfaces with your PC and
allows you, via keyboard commands, to get any text information read to you in
synthetic speech.
2. A … artificial environment … as popularized by virtual reality, lets the use
immerse him/herself in a synthetically generated environment.
3. An … touch screen monitor …. is a touch -sensitive device where a special pen or
your finger can as a mouse.
4. Tony Adams is now the proud owner of a dark silver Vogue, complete with
leather interior, …GPS…. navigation, and a … monitor …. with LCD TV
screens.
1.2. Which computer use in A do these picture illustrate?

1.3. Read B opposite. What problem do these sentences refer to?

1.3.1. We are sorry to announce that most flights are delayed or cancelled.
1.3.2. He should go to a psychologist. He spends hours surfing the web.
1.3.3. Technology changes so
1.3.4. Five been getting emails about offers for of different produces.
1.3.5. My computer system has been broken into and some useful information
has been destroyed.
1.4. Some words often appear together in IT. Complete these computer uses
with word partners from C opposite.